May to say Brexit ’95 per cent’ settled as MP mutiny fears rise

LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May will tell Britain’s parliament on Monday (Oct 22) that Brexit negotiations are “95 per cent” complete but that she cannot accept the European Union’s Northern Ireland border proposals – as she faces down an increasingly mutinous faction within her own party. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May is trying to calm nerves within her own party. (Photo: AFP/John Thys) May has been on the receiving end of a furious backlash from Brexit hardliners in her own party after indicating at an EU summit last week that she could accept a longer post-divorce implementation phase than previously envisaged. Her shift aimed to break an impasse in negotiations between London and Brussels over how to keep the Irish border open after Brexit, by giving the two sides more time to agree their future relationship. But it infuriated Brexiteer colleagues who fear remaining tied to the EU for years after Britain’s formal departure next March. Several Sunday newspapers said rebellious MPs were preparing a fresh bid to topple her leadership this week, many carrying colourful off-record quotes from the plotters. In a bid to calm passions, May will address MPs in the House of Commons on Monday where she will say the divorce deal with Brussels is nearly done. “Ninety-five per cent of the Withdrawal Agreement and its protocols are now settled,” she will tell parliamentarians, according to a partial transcript released by her office late Sunday. Highlighting progress in the year-long talks, she will say agreements have now… [Read full story]